Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr made headlines this summer when he benched Boston Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum during the 2024 Olympics. Tatum was named to the Team USA roster, but despite having just won an NBA Championship, he was benched in two of the six outings.
Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton was also given little playing time throughout the Olympics, but Tatum caught most of the attention of the media. Some players called it unacceptable, while another hoard argued that he simply wasn’t an ideal fit with the roster.
Kevon Looney chimes in on Steve Kerr benching Jayson Tatum on Team USA: 'You kind of have to take it'
Long-time Warriors big man Kevon Looney recently spoke with Scoop B. Robinson about the incident, sharing his thoughts on the matter, particularly in regard to Kerr. He spoke about Tatum and Haliburton getting benched as a whole.
“When he makes a call like that, and it actually works out, you kind of have to take it,” Looney said. “He’s a coach won as a player, a GM, and as a head coach. So, you kind of have to respect his basketball knowledge; they have a lot of great minds over here. If he sees something on the court, he’s usually right.”
Tatum’s shot hasn’t been right since the start of the Celtics’ postseason run, which was capped off by a title. He shot 0-of-16 on jump shots in the Olympics, and considering LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Stephen Curry were taking on most of the ball-handling duties,
That said, it was still a tough pill for the Celtics star to swallow.
“I know as a player, it sucks,” said Looney. “I know that they went out there to sacrifice and give minutes for our country, and not seeing him get minutes sometimes is always gonna be tough, especially dividing the talent and then who’s deserving to play, but Steve’s all about winning. He’s going to do all the necessary things to win, and he did win.”
Tatum handled the benching like a professional, and every time he was asked about the matter, he simply stated that he wanted to put the team first. He undoubtedly would have loved to play, but the chips fell in a different direction.
The result? A second gold medal and another accomplishment to add to his resume.